Display of dynamic data as a notebook

• US 5,542,040 A
• Filed: 12/15/1993
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, David Y., Li, Shih-Gong
• Primary Examiner(s): Powell, Mark R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, RUAY L
• Application Number:
  US08/169,921
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 395/155, 395/157, 395/161, 395/159, 345/98, 364/419.17, 364/419.13
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system and program for presenting dynamic data on a display. The dynamic data is displayed in a notebook as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in the notebook. The dynamic data is monitored to detect a change in state of the dynamic data. In response to a detected change, a determination is made that the dynamic data should be regrouped in response to the change in state. The notebook is then displayed according to the regrouped dynamic data. Each page in the notebook has a tab which is displayed according to the state of the group assigned to that page. In response to the detected change of the dynamic data, the display of the tab may also be changed. Typically, the top page in a notebook has a window. A child window can be created by copying the window outside the notebook in an adjacent display. When the notebook is closed in response to a user command, the child window is automatically closed in response to closing the notebook.

Claims

1. A method for presenting dynamic data on a display, comprising the steps of:

displaying the dynamic data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook;

detecting a change in the dynamic data;

regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in the dynamic data so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of displaying a top page of the notebook according to an attribute type which specifies which dynamic data, of the dynamic data associated with the top page is to be displayed on the top page.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying a top page of the notebook with a new group of dynamic data containing the first element.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the detecting step comprises monitoring the status of nodes in a network and the dynamic data of each page represents a group of nodes in a computer system.

5. A method of presenting data on a display, comprising the steps of:

displaying the data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook, a top page having a window begin displayed on top of the notebook; and

creating and displaying a child window by copying the window outside the notebook so that the child window and the notebook are concurrently displayed.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the child window is created by means of a drag and drop operation.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 which further comprises the steps of:

closing the notebook in response to a user command; and

automatically closing the child window in response to closing the notebook.

8. A method for presenting dynamic data on a display, the dynamic data grouped in a plurality of groups each group assigned to a page in a notebook, each page having a tab, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a state for each group of dynamic data;

selecting a tab icon according to the state of group of dynamic data; and

displaying the notebook and the tab of each page according to the state of the group assigned to that page.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, which further comprises the steps of:

detecting a change in state for at least a first group of dynamic data; and

changing the tab icon according to the change of state, the tab corresponding to the first group of dynamic data.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the dynamic data of each page represents a group of nodes in a computer system.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, which further comprises the step of:

regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in state so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the step of displaying a top page of the notebook with a new group of dynamic data including the first element.

13. A system for presenting dynamic data on a display, comprising:

means for displaying the dynamic data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook;

means for detecting a change in the dynamic data;

means for regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in the dynamic data so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

means for displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising

means for displaying a top page of the notebook according to a presentation type which specifies the manner in which the dynamic data is to be displayed on the top page.

15. The system as recited in claim 13 further comprising means for displaying a top page of the notebook with a new group of dynamic data including the first element.

16. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein the detecting step comprises monitoring the status of nodes in a network and the dynamic data of each page represents a group of nodes in a computer system.

17. A system of presenting data on a display, comprising:

means for displaying the data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook, a top page having a window being displayed on top of the notebook;

means for creating a child window by copying the window outside the notebook;

means for displaying a child window and the notebook concurrently.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein the child window is created by means of a drag and drop operation.

19. The system as recited in claim 17 which further comprises the steps of:

means for closing the notebook in response to a user command; and

means for automatically closing the child window in response to closing the notebook.

20. A system for presenting dynamic data on a display, the dynamic data grouped in a plurality of groups each group assigned to a page in a notebook, each page having a tab, the method comprising:

means for determining a state for each group of dynamic data;

selecting a tab icon according to the state of group of dynamic data; and

means for displaying the tab of each page according the state of the group assigned to that page.

21. The system as recited in claim 20, which further comprises:

means for detecting a change in state for at least a first group of dynamic data; and

means for changing the a tab icon according to the change of state, the tab corresponding to the first group of dynamic data.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, which further comprises:

means for regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in state so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

means for displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.

23. A computer program product in a computer readable memory for presenting dynamic data on a display, comprising:

means for displaying the dynamic data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook;

means for detecting a change in the dynamic data;

means for regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in the dynamic data so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

means for displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.

24. The product as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

means for displaying a top page of the notebook with a new group of dynamic data including the first element.

25. A computer program product in a computer readable memory for presenting data on a display, comprising:

means for displaying the data as a plurality of groups, each group assigned to a page in a notebook, a top page having a window being displayed on top of the notebook; and

means for creating and displaying a child window by copying the window outside the notebook so that the child window and the notebook are concurrently displayed.

26. The product as recited in claim 25 which further comprises:

means for closing the notebook in response to a user command; and

means for automatically closing the child window in response to closing the notebook.

27. A computer program product for presenting dynamic data on a display, the dynamic data grouped in a plurality of groups each group assigned to a page in a notebook, each page having a tab, the method comprising the steps of:

means for determining a state for each group of dynamic data; and

selecting a tab icon according to the state of group of dynamic data; and

means for displaying the notebook and the tab icon of each page according the state of the group assigned to that page.

28. The product as recited in claim 27, which further comprises:

means for detecting a change in state for at least a first group of dynamic data; and

means for changing the tab icon according to the change of state, the tab corresponding to the first group of dynamic data.

29. The product as recited in claim 28, which further comprises:

means for regrouping the dynamic data in response to the change in state so that at least a first element of the dynamic data is assigned to a different page than before regrouping; and

means for displaying the notebook with the regrouped dynamic data.